Companion and rival
When you opened your eyes you were in a room, in a warm bed. The curtains were shut and someone was watching you. Itachi sat on a chair not far away, reading a book.
You slowly stood up on your elbows and Itachi looked up from his book.
-Where am I? You asked looking straight at him.
-In the Akatsuki lair. Now that you are awake, the Leader would like to question you, he said closing his book.
And with that, you and Itachi stood up and headed for the living room, ignoring everyone you passed by and stopping when you met Kisame. He followed you to the Leader's office.
The door was of a deep dark brown and it was polished. You could tell only by the look of it that it was hard and heavy and it separated a very important room from the rest of the lair.
Itachi knocked on the door and the three of you didn't have to wait for long until a deep voice told you to proceed.
Once inside, you scanned every corner of the room; it's walls, the furniture, the scrolls hanging on the walls, everything. Most of the room was in the dim light of a lamp lighting a dark wooden desk. Behind that desk sat a man, seemingly very focused, pondering a document. He had orange hair and his nose and ears were pierced. And when he looked up at the three of you, you recognized with no doubt the Rinnengan. This man seemed to be, by all accounts, the most powerful leader an organization could have. You swallowed your tongue at the thought of the power resting in those eyes alone. The room grew cold as he looked at you. For a moment there, you weren't sure if he was looking at you or through you.
-Come closer, he said to you, gesturing with his fingers. Have a sit.
You approached, trying not to seem so intimidated, and took a sit across from him. The chair had sitting pillow on it but it was still hard and it didn't help you feel any more comfortable.
-Itachi, Kisame, thank you for bringing her here. You may leave.
And with a bow, the two of them took their leave quietly closing the door behind them.
-I was told you were found in a forest nearby.
-That is correct, sir, you replied formally.
-Tell me your name, he said evenly glancing back at the scroll on his desk.
You felt as if you had no voice but you knew you had to answer him. You sat there frozen for a moment, trying to gauge the courage to speak again.
The Leader looked up at you with a cold, hard gaze and fixed your eyes.
-Tell me your name, he repeated sounding slightly irritated, obviously not liking to wait or repeat himself.
-My name is Tempura Nanami, you finally said. I come from the Bloody Mist where I was an apprentice to the 7 swordsmen of the Mist, like Hoshigaki Kisame and am now in the possession of the Kiba[1], formerly owned by Ringo Ameyuri, my sensei.
And with this you hoped he's heard enough of you to send you out. But, to your utter displeasure, he did not and you ended up sitting there for what seemed like days but were mere hours. 4 hours.
I was your new partner (I'm not important, it's just for the story to make a bit more sense). The two of us got along pretty well but you always preferred to train with someone with whom you had a bit more in common with; Kisame.
It's been a whole year since you joined and it was now spring again. You and Kisame were spending more and more time together and became pretty good friends. He always made jokes around you, most of which you found funny, even if the other didn't seem to.
The two of you even started going out on patrols together every now and then. Pein, however, never agreed to put the two of you on the same team due to your similar powers and attitudes.
One day, just like the one when they have found you in the forest, you were in the training room. You and Kisame have been fighting for hours, still seeming equal in power. But this time, unlike your first encounter, you won. Sitting on the ground, seeming defeated, you tricked Kisame into coming closer and then you delivered the final shock.
[1] Kiba – The Kiba literally mean "Fangs" and are twin swords, formerly in the possession of Ringo Ameyuri, one of the previous 7 swordsmen of the Mist. They generate electricity, hence their allias "Thunderswords" and are believed to be the sharpest swords ever created.
